Plate hanger



Nov. 15, 1949 s. SCI-WEIR 2,488,243

PLATE HANGER Filed D60. 14, 1946 Patented Nov. 15, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PLATE HANGER Samuel Schneir, Chicago, Ill.

Application December 14, 1946, Serial No. 716,325

Claims. (Cl. 248-29) This invention relates to a plate hanger for the purpose of attaching a plate or plaque to a standard such as a wall, for decorative and display purposes.

Heretofore, hangers have been devised which, if sufiicient safety for the plate is provided, have been cumbersome, complicated and difficult to attach. These devices are expensive to fabricate, as well. It is further known that many simple hangers are sold on the market, but these are over-simplified and in most cases do not provide the amount of safety commensurate with the value of rare chinaware often displayed upon walls.

A hanger, in order to ideally serve the specific purpose of displaying plates must be simple in construction so that it may be readily attached or removed. It cannot be cumbersome or heavy because the plate must be arranged very close to the surface of the standard. It must be attached in a stable manner to the plate so that jars of the wall will not disturb the upright alignment of the plate or cause same to turn in the hanger. It must be capable of withstanding considerable movement, as for example, when the plate is being dusted, or is touched during cleaning and the like, without loosening the plate or placing undue strain on its support.

It is the primary object of my invention to provide a device for hanging plates from a wall or standard which device will eliminate all of the disadvantages of previous hangers, and which will embody all of the attributes of an ideal plate hanger as set forth above.

Another object of the invention is to devise a plate hanger providing universal resilient spring suspension for a plate whereby jarring of plate or standard will be absorbed by the suspension means.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a plate hanger having highly efiicient means grasping the plate and carrying the same.

Another important object of my invention is to provide a device of the character described which can be quickly and economically fabricated from simple structural elements.

Further objects of the invention will be apparent from the following specification and claims.

It will be understood that the drawings are intended for illustrative purposes only, and are not to be construed as defining or limiting the scope of the invention, the claims forming a part of this specification being relied upon for that purpose.

Of the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a plate suspended from a wall by means of a plate hanger constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a rear elevational view of the plate with the hanger attached thereto.

Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are views similar to that of Fig. 3 but showing modified forms of my invention.

The reference character It} designates generally a plate or plaque suspended from a wall II and having some manner of decorative design [2 or configuration arranged in an upright position. My hanger is designated generally by the reference character l3.

The plate [0 consists of a base l4 and rim I5. Hanger 13 comprises means overlying the base l4 and fingers overlying and grasping the rim 15. There are provided upper fingers I 6 and [1 formed of wire and connected across the base M by a cross-bar l8 having wire loops l9 and 20 formed at the ends thereof where fingers l6 and I! join the same. The lower fingers 2| and 22 are identical in formation, there being provided therebetween cross-bar 23, having loops 24 and 25. Each finger is provided on its free end with a hook portion 26 adapted to engage the lip of the plate rim l5.

Overlying the base [4, and slightly spaced from same there is provided a plate member 2'! having perforated corners as shown at 28', 29, 3!), and 3| for a purpose to be described. The plate member 21 has a central upwardly and outwardly extending ear 32 having an opening 33 by means of which the device is adapted to be pinned to the wall H as shown at 34 in Fig. 2. The plate member 21 is resiliently suspended between the crossbars l8 and 23 by means of four coil springs 35, 36, 31, and 38 which extend between the loops I9, 20, 25 and 24 and the perforations 28, 29, 30, and 3|, respectively.

It should be noted that the plate member 21 is of generally elongated form and is substantially longer than the cross-bars l8 and 23. As a result of this arrangement, the coil springs are at a considerable angle with the vertical. EX- amining a typical juncture at 100.0 I9, note that the angle between bar l8 and finger I6 is substantially the same as the angle between spring 35 and bar l8, and between spring 35 and finger l6. Thus we have a quiescent mechanical system in which the forces of the three elements finger, bar, and spring are substantially equal, and the direction of the vectors of which extend along the respective members. The circumferential distance between finger l6 and finger I1 is therefore very much greater than is normal in such devices and hence considerable stability is thereby engendered. The fingers cannot slip circumferentially since the only applied force acting on the hooks 26 acts radially and inwardly of the plate I0.

When the plate is suported or hung on the wall I I as in Fig. 2, the plate I0 is suspended with 3 complete universal spring resilience in a vertical plane. The springs 35, 36, 31, and 3B are slanted and hence provide for all components of resilience. heretofore. '11'0 'device this nature has utilized same-d springs and hence did not provide for side-to-side resilience.

The springs in this case act as shock absorbers I and prevent jarring of the wall or plate from besociated with said device for attaching same to ing transmitted. Thus the plate can be struck or brushed or dusted and it will merely ocill'ate until the springs absorb the energy by friction There will be no stress placed uponp'in "34 nor will the fingers be urged to move. In Fig. 4 I have illiistrated a modified form of :my invention .in which I :provide a plate member 421 similarsto member *2?! but without theear 32'. -For attaching the plate II! to the wall the cross-bar M43 is looped as shown at 433. The plate is not freely suspended, as is in the case of the device previously described, but many of xthe other advantages thereof are had thereby, notwithstandir-ig.

- El n FEig, '5,'instead of a plate, 1 provide a bar 7 member 52 7 (having flattened pierced ends 1528,

and 529. The springs 535 and 538 use:the?pierced and 528 as their common juncture point, while springs- 536 and 531 use end 529. =Cross-bar 51 6 :has -loep% 33' for attachment to the wallyas in Figi4p *In :Fig. -6,' I .usea bar member-621 having -'F- :shapedmnds 628 l and :62 9; Sa-id' ends 'a-re each engaged in the center of :a single spring 1635 and 536 which takes the-place of the -'similarl-y arranged springs ."IQI'SViUHSLY'dGSOIibBd'. it is' believed tha-t invention, its mode :of construction and assembly, and-many of its ad- ;vantages should ibe readily understood from the foregoing without further description, -'and 'it should also :be manifest-that while =a preferred embodiment-of the invention has been shown \and described for illustrative purposes, thestructural details are nevertheless capable 0f wide variation with-in -.the :purview -of any invention as =denedinthe appended claims.

W-hat -I claim andwdesire to secure b y Eett'ers "Patent ef -the :United Sta-tes is:

l. Awdev-iee lfGl' hanging plates-from a wall which comprises anpair of wire members a tached=on opposite edges of a plate. each having :a pair of hooked fingers engaging thee'dge of a plate at circumferentially 'spac'ed "points and ioined by means of 'a horizontal aneiriber at "the radial "ends *thereof, spring means connected -acrossthe opposedends *of "the horizontal mem- Jeers and tending to pull sarne together, and meansserv-ingte spreadsaid spring means and positioned intermediate the h'orizontal members and substantially parallel thereto, means 'associated with said device 'for attaching same *to re-wall, comprising ansear oalrried by said spreading means "and "adapted to receive 'a rfastening devicethereih.

-'2. A device'ror' hanging 'pla't'es from a "wall "which comprises a rpairfof wire members attabhed on opposite edges *of a plate, each having a pair 70f hooked rfinge'rs "engaging the "edge of a plate at circuihier'entiall'y spaced i-po'ints and joirfedbI-y means "of fa horizontal member at 713118 radial endssthereo'f, spring .:'means connected :aicross "the opposed ends '0? the horizontal members "and ten'ain'g to pull 'sam'e aog'et er, and means serving to spread said spring m'e'anfs and positioned iriterrriediate the horizontal -'members and s'iilcis'ta'n'ti'all'y parallel *thereto, 'm'eans asa wall, comprising a loop of wire formed on one of said horizontal members and adapted to re- ".oerve a fastening device therein.

A device for hanging plates from a wall which comprises a pair of wire members at- A i t'ached on opposite edges of a rplate, each having a pair of hooked fingers engaging the edge of a plate at circumferentially spaced points and joined by :means of a horizontal member at the radial ends thereof, springs means connected across the opposed ends of the horizontal members we tending to pull same together, and means serving to spread said spring means and npositioned intermediate :the horizontal members and substantially parallel thereto, ersfsociated with said 'device for "attaching same ate :a

wall, said spreading means comprising-a bar like im'ernbei' 'siibstantial ly :longer than said :horiazontal members.

4. Aa'device for hanging plates from a wall which *comprises :a :pair *of wire members :attaeh'ed on opposite :edges 'of :a plate, each 'having a pair or hooked ifing'ers engaging the edge or a plate at ziircumrerentially spaced points and "joined by or :a horizontal :member at the r adial ends there'or, spring rmeans connected across the opposed end s of the horizontal membersand tending to' puI-rsametogether,and means "serving to spread said spring means "and lp'os'ition-e'd in'terrlrl'e'diate the horizontal me'r'ribrs and substantially parallel thereto, means associated with said device for attaching same to a wall, said s reading means comprising a generally l'ectahgu'lar member "having perforated cor'ners, said spring means comprising coiled springs extending from each corner "to "an --a'djaicerit enfd 6f said horizontal members whereby said springs are 7 arranged a's oppositely slanted pairs on "either "side of said rectangd-lar *r nerriber. j i

' 5. -'A device for hanging fplates frjom a, wall which comprises a pair of wire members attached 'on opposit'e edgesio'f a plate, each 'having'a pair of ho'oked fingers engagin the edgefo'f a plate at meanders CITED The following @referenc'es are 10f :record :in the file of this patent: 

